Nancy Spence
Encyclopedia
Nancy Spence is a Colorado
legislator. First elected to the Cherry Creek School District
Board of Education in the 1980s, Spence was elected to three terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, serving from 1999 to 2005, and was elected to the Colorado State Senate as a Republican in 2006. Spence represents Senate District 27, which encompasses suburban and rural portions of eastern Arapahoe County, Colorado
.
from 1955 to 1956.
Spence married in 1958; she and her husband, a dentist,
, have four children: Chris, Kathy, Greg, and Meg, and six grandchildren.
Spence was first elected to the Cherry Creek School District
Board of Education in 1980 and served there continuously until 1993. During her tenure on the school board, she served as board treasurer for two years and board president for five. She is also a founding member of the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation and of the Denver School of the Arts
.
Spence was an alternate delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention and a delegate to the 1996 convention
.
First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 39th district -- portions of Arapahoe County, Colorado
south of Aurora
, near Cherry Creek State Park
. During her three terms, she sat on the House Education Committee, serving as chairman during her last two terms. She also sat on the House Judiciary Committee and House Appropriations Committee during her first term, the House Criminal Justice Committee during her second term, and the House Transportation and Energy Committee during her third term.
Focusing particularly on education issues in the Republican-controlled state house, Spence, in 2003, sponsored a successful measure to create a statewide school voucher program. The measure was the first statewide voucher program to be enacted into law following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
that voucher programs did not necessarily violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment
.
Although the measure was signed into law by Governor Bill Owens, it was soon struck down by Colorado courts for violating the principle of local control.
Spence was elected to the Colorado State Senate in 2004; there, she serves on the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee. In 2007, she was elected Senate Assistant Minority Leader; as such, she is also a member of the Legislative Council.
Spence has been named a "Legislator of the Year" by several organizations, including the American Heart Association
in 1999, the Colorado Association of Community Centered Boards in 2001, and the Colorado Alliance for Reform in Education in 2004.
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
legislator. First elected to the Cherry Creek School District
Cherry Creek School District
The Cherry Creek School District 5, also known as Cherry Creek Public Schools, is a school district based in western Arapahoe County, Colorado. The superintendent is Mary Chesley.-History:...
Board of Education in the 1980s, Spence was elected to three terms in the Colorado House of Representatives, serving from 1999 to 2005, and was elected to the Colorado State Senate as a Republican in 2006. Spence represents Senate District 27, which encompasses suburban and rural portions of eastern Arapahoe County, Colorado
Arapahoe County, Colorado
As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile...
.
Biography
Born in Denver, Colorado, Spence graduated from South Denver High School, where she met her future husband, Peter. She attended Colorado State UniversityColorado State University
Colorado State University is a public research university located in Fort Collins, Colorado. The university is the state's land grant university, and the flagship university of the Colorado State University System.The enrollment is approximately 29,932 students, including resident and...
from 1955 to 1956.
Spence married in 1958; she and her husband, a dentist,
, have four children: Chris, Kathy, Greg, and Meg, and six grandchildren.
Spence was first elected to the Cherry Creek School District
Cherry Creek School District
The Cherry Creek School District 5, also known as Cherry Creek Public Schools, is a school district based in western Arapahoe County, Colorado. The superintendent is Mary Chesley.-History:...
Board of Education in 1980 and served there continuously until 1993. During her tenure on the school board, she served as board treasurer for two years and board president for five. She is also a founding member of the Cherry Creek Schools Foundation and of the Denver School of the Arts
Denver School of the Arts
The Denver School of the Arts was founded in 1991 as part of the Denver Public School District. It was a pioneer of the magnet school concept.-History:...
.
Spence was an alternate delegate to the 1992 Republican National Convention and a delegate to the 1996 convention
1996 Republican National Convention
The 1996 National Convention of the Republican Party of the United States convened at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, from August 12 to August 15, 1996...
.
First elected to the Colorado House of Representatives in 1998, representing the 39th district -- portions of Arapahoe County, Colorado
Arapahoe County, Colorado
As of the census of 2000, there were 487,967 people, 190,909 households, and 125,809 families residing in the county. The population density was 608 people per square mile . There were 196,835 housing units at an average density of 245 per square mile...
south of Aurora
Aurora, Colorado
City of Aurora is a Home Rule Municipality spanning Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties in Colorado. Aurora is an eastern suburb of the Denver-Aurora-Broomfield, CO Metropolitan Statistical Area . The city is the third most populous city in the Colorado and the 56th most populous city in the...
, near Cherry Creek State Park
Cherry Creek State Park
Cherry Creek State Park is a state park located in Arapahoe County, Colorado, United States. The park is in the city of Aurora. The park consists of a natural prairie environment with an reservoir at its center which is shared by powerboats, sailboats, and paddle craft. The Cherry Creek Marina...
. During her three terms, she sat on the House Education Committee, serving as chairman during her last two terms. She also sat on the House Judiciary Committee and House Appropriations Committee during her first term, the House Criminal Justice Committee during her second term, and the House Transportation and Energy Committee during her third term.
Focusing particularly on education issues in the Republican-controlled state house, Spence, in 2003, sponsored a successful measure to create a statewide school voucher program. The measure was the first statewide voucher program to be enacted into law following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris
Zelman v. Simmons-Harris, , was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court which tested the allowance of school vouchers in relation to the establishment clause of the First Amendment....
that voucher programs did not necessarily violate the establishment clause of the First Amendment
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
The First Amendment to the United States Constitution is part of the Bill of Rights. The amendment prohibits the making of any law respecting an establishment of religion, impeding the free exercise of religion, abridging the freedom of speech, infringing on the freedom of the press, interfering...
.
Although the measure was signed into law by Governor Bill Owens, it was soon struck down by Colorado courts for violating the principle of local control.
Spence was elected to the Colorado State Senate in 2004; there, she serves on the Senate Education Committee and the Senate Transportation Committee. In 2007, she was elected Senate Assistant Minority Leader; as such, she is also a member of the Legislative Council.
Spence has been named a "Legislator of the Year" by several organizations, including the American Heart Association
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association is a non-profit organization in the United States that fosters appropriate cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability and deaths caused by cardiovascular disease and stroke. It is headquartered in Dallas, Texas...
in 1999, the Colorado Association of Community Centered Boards in 2001, and the Colorado Alliance for Reform in Education in 2004.